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Raku Heart Pin (small, w/ red)

Quick Overview

Show your love with this small heart-shaped pin by Lynn Jenkins.

Product Description

This sweet heart-shaped pin is made by Lynn Jenkins of Valle Crucis, NC.

Lynn started potting as a teenager in 1976, and clay has been a part of her life ever since. She works primarily with raku-fired pots. The word Raku means "enjoyment of freedom" and/or "peace." In pottery terms it refers to a firing process which dates back to the sixteenth century in Japan.

Raku is a fast firing process which takes approximately 1 hour. The pottery is glazed and then placed into a gas kiln where the temperature goes from 1500 to 1900 degrees F. The pin is then removed with tongs and placed in a drum of sawdust for about 30 minutes. During this process the pottery goes through a reduction and the unglazed clay turns black. The cracks form in the glaze because of the rapid cooling, and appear because the clay has turned black while the glaze was cracked open. The pins are removed from the sawdust and quenched in water, and then rubbed clean.

This is approximately 1 1/8 inches wide, and 1/8 inch thick. Each heart is a little different--expect variations!